1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a pool deck protector to prevent the wear and tear and disfigurement of the pool deck and pool coping, and more particularly, to a pool coping protector which is cooperative with the pool cover and pool tie down system to prevent damage to the coping surrounding the edge of the pool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of a pool cover to overlay the surface of a swimming pool which is either full or partially full of water is of widespread use. A factor for the use of a swimming pool cover is for safety concerns regarding small children. The other reason for use is to prevent the entry of leaves, debris or dirt when the pool is not in use. This use is particularly widespread in climatic zones in which the pool is not used year round, but rather seasonally, and structural requirements or economics require that the pool remain full during the off season.
Typically, the pool cover is manufactured to conform to the perimeter outline of the pool and is secured by anchors in the form of anchor bolts secured to the pool deck about the perimeter of the pool, positioned several feet outwardly from the edge of the pool.
A typical anchoring system for a pool cover may be found in U. S. Pat. No. 4,916,763 to Christiansen. The anchoring system disclosed by Christiansen is representative of the type utilized in the pool industry. Christiansen in the aforesaid patent attempted to solve the problem of discoloration or disfiguration of the decking material by the tension spring through the use of a protective strip on the underside of the tensioning spring. Similarly, U. S. Pat. No. 5,014,369 to Daus, discloses an alternative form of pool cover tie down system to prevent discoloration or disfigurement of the pool deck by means of flexible, rubber-like tie downs which secure the pool cover to the anchor bolt.
Both of the systems disclosed in the aforesaid patents attempt to prevent discoloration, disfigurement or disfigurement of the pool deck in the area proximate to the anchor bolt. However, in various pool tie down configurations, the pool cover and securing strap, when installed, are proximate to the coping of the swimming pool, the coping being the perimeter edge of the pool which extends outwardly from the pool edge approximately 6 to 10 inches. This point of contact between the securing strap and the pool cover oftentimes causes discoloration, wear, or disfigurement to the coping of the pool itself. This is accomplished by slight movement of the pool cover and attendant securing straps by wind or other weather elements causing the pool cover and attendant securing straps to move or vibrate, the securing straps vibrating in a very narrow range while in frictional contact with the coping of the pool, thus causing the discoloration or wear and tear and disfigurement.
Applicant's invention represents a simplified add-on feature which is cooperative with the coping or alternatively, cooperative with the coping and the tie-down strap to provide a protective surface to the coping during the term in which the pool cover is in use. Applicant's invention is inexpensive and capable of being utilized with pool covers and pool tie-down systems already in use or designed to cooperate with pool covers and tie-down systems which a pool owner may utilize in the future.